A group containing one or more silicon atoms bound to hydrolyzable groups (e.g. (CH.sub.3 O).sub.2 Si(CH.sub.3)--) is hydrolyzed into silanol when moisture exists, and then forms siloxane bonds. These groups can be called crosslinkable silyl groups. A polymer having crosslinkable silyl groups can be crosslinked and cured by forming siloxane bonds in the presence of moisture. It can be used as sealing compounds and adhesives. ##STR1##
It is known that the crosslinkable silyl groups-having polymer can be produced by subjecting a polymer having unsaturated groups (unsaturated polymer) to hydrosilylation reaction with a hydrosilicon compound having hydrolyzable groups. ##STR2##
The hydrosilylation reaction is not only used for the production of the crosslinkable silyl groups-having polymer, but is also generally used for the production of a polymer having silicon-containing groups.
In the hydrosilylation reaction, a platinum compound and oxygen are generally used as a catalyst and a promoter, respectively (Onopchenko. A. et al, J. Org. Chem., 52, 4118, (1987), Lewis. L. N. et al, J. Am. Chem. Soc., 112, 5998, (1990) and U.S. Pat. No. 5,359,111). When it is carried out without oxygen but with an inert gas such as nitrogen or helium, catalyst activity is markedly lowered in the reaction to thereby cause hydrosilylation reaction rate extremely slow. Thus, there arise a possibility that it takes several days to complete the reaction. Consequently, problems may occur, such as extremely lowered productivity and lowered content ratio of the silicon-containing groups in the final polymer.
The hydrosilylation reaction using oxygen as a promoter is used for reaction with a low-molecular-weight compound, for example reaction of 1-alkene including 1-octene with a silane compound such as alkylsilane, dialkylsilane or trialkylsilane including triethylsilane, methyldioctylsilane, trioctylsilane or dioctylsilane; reaction of triethylsilane with vinyltrimethylsilane or vinyltrichlorosilane; reaction of cyclohexene with methyldichlorosilane; reaction of 1-hexene or cyclohexene with methyldichlorosilane; reaction of 1-hexene with dimethoxymethylsilane; reaction of 1,1,1,2,3,3,3-heptamethyltrisiloxane with 1-hexene or trans-2-hexene; reaction of triethylsilane with trans-2-hexene; reaction of trichlorosilane with 1,5-hexadiene; and the like.
When a polymer having unsaturated groups is hydrosilylated with a hydrosilicon compound; however, the yield may not increase even the reaction is carried out in the presence of oxygen. This tendency is accelerated when an organic solvent is used to lower the reactant's viscosity.
The invention has an object to provide a process for producing an organic polymer having silicon-containing groups in a high yield by hydrosilylating an unsaturated groups-having polymer with a hydrosilane compound in the presence of oxygen.
The invention has another object to provide an effective device for producing an organic polymer having silicon-containing groups by hydrosilylating an unsaturated groups-having polymer with a hydrosilane compound.